Attachment for rocking-chairs



(No Model.)

. W. I. BUNKER.

ATTACHMENT FOR ROCKING CHAIRS.

Patented Jan. 12, 1886.

veniow Wz'Zness es;

its 1330 rne yfl V UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VVILLI'AM BUNKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ATTACHMENT FOR ROCKING-CHAIRS.

EEECIFICATEODE forming part of Letters Patent No. 334,345, dated January12, 1886.

Application filed November 3, 1884. Serial No. 147,067. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I. BUNKER, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Ohicago, Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Attachments for Rocking-Chairs, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of my invention is to make an attachment for rocking-chairsprings that will hold the ends of the spring rigidly when in place, andat the same time enable the spring to be removed and the chair shippedin separate pieces without disturbing or removing the brackets fromtheir position on the rockers or base-rails; and it consists in thefeatures of construction and arrangement hereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figurel shows the bracket containing my improvementswith the spring partially in place. Fig. 2 shows abracket detached fromthe spring. Fig. 3 shows a transverse vertical section of the bracketand spring. Fig. etshows a detached bracket in a slightly modified form,and Figs. 5 and 6 show modifications in which the end coils of thespring pass over shoulders on the side projections of the bracket andpress against its middle shoulder.

A represents the spring; B, the bracket; 0, theretaining piece or pieceson the bracket; D, ashoulder or stop formed in the bracket; E, ashoulder or stop against which the end of the coiled wire rests, and Fand G projections which partly embrace or inclose the end coils of thespring.

In constructing my improved bracket I cast the same with projections Fand G at the sides to partly embrace and inclose the upper and lowercoils of the spring, as shown in Fig. 1. These projections aremade,preferably,with a slight hollow or cavity, in which the coil of thespring lies when in place, as shown at D in Fig. 2. These projectionsare wider apart at their ends than farther back, so as to present ashoulder for the coil of the spring to rest against when in place, andprevent its being pushed farther back than necessary. One of theseprojections may be inclosed at its end, as represented by E in Fig. 4.,so as to prevent the coil of the spring from being pushed or woundfarther around than necessary. Where this stop E is used, the end of thecoil should be inserted at this side first and rest against the stop,after which the coil of the spring may be inserted in place, as in othercases where this stop is not used,as hereinafter described.

Between the projections on the brackets above described I make a thirdprojection, 0, preferably, but not necessarily, wedge-shaped, which maybe forced between the coils of the spring, and which at its rear edgepresents a shoulder, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This projection 0 holdsthe spring firmly and rigidly in its place, so that when the spring isinserted for use in a chair it cannot be removed without prying thecoils apart. 7

In operation I take my brackets and fasten them by screws or otherwiseupon the rockers and base-rails of a platform rocking-chair. I take thecoiled springs and place them in proper position between the projectionson the bracket and against the edge of the projection O. I then push thesprings into their place, projection 0 opening thecoils until it haspassed entirely through, after which the end coils of the spring fallinto their proper place, as shown in Fig. 3. To remove the spring, so asto ship the chair in separate pieces, I take any convenient toolpresenting an edge or point-as, for instance, a screwdriver-and insertit under the end coils and pry them sufficiently up or down to slip themover the projection G. In this way the chair can be shipped in separateparts without detaching the brackets, and afterward put together, readyfor use, with the greatest ease and expedition.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have illustrated modified forms of the bracket, inwhich each end coil of the spring passes over or behind shoulders on theside projections and presses or abuts against a middle shoulder, so thatwhen the spring is in place the shoulders of the side projections are onthe inside and the shoulder of the middle projection on the outside ofits end coil, and other similar modifications will readily suggestthemselves. It will be noticed that in all these forms of brackets anessential idea is the retention. of the springs in place by forcingtheir end coils over a projection or projections, so that they fall intoplace from the elasticity of the spring, and cannot be removed along thecourse of their insertion without prying or lifting them up. Theimportance of being able to remove the springs by prying open their endcoils is that they may be removed from the brackets when in place on thechair, while if they could only be inserted or removed by screwing theminto place any attempt to remove them would have the effect of screwingthem tighter onto the upper or lower bracket as they were turned to theright or to the left, thus while unscrewing them from the top bracketthe operation would be screwing them onto the lower bracket.

The projections over which the spring is forced may be made in variousshapes, a number of which I have illustrated in the drawings; but theessential idea or feature of my invention does not consist so much inthe form of the projections as in securing the springs in place byforcing their end coils over shoulders or projections adapted to receiveand retain them instead of securing them to the brackets by screwing orcoiling, as has been commonly done in the past. This being the case, Ido not deem it necessary to further describe or illustrate modificationsof the es sential idea or principle of my invention. I will say,however, that in designating certain parts of the bracket as sideprojections I have merely used this term to distinguish them from themiddle projection, and by its use I simply mean to designate those partsof the bracket which most nearly approach to the center of the diameterof the spring, whether the metal between the projections be cut away ornot.

I understand and intend brackets having the side projection on theinside and the middle projection on the outside of the end coil, whenthe spring is in place, to be within and covered by my generic claimsherein; but for the sake of further protection I have made this form ofbracket the subject of another application, of which this is a division.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A bracket for platform rocking-chair attachments, having side andmiddle projections for securing one end of the spring, and at least oneof said projections having a shoulder and being adapted to be insertedbetween the coils of the spring, said shoulder being on the inside ofthe end coil when the spring is in place, whereby the spring is held inplace and prevented from being drawn away from the rockers andbase-rails of the chair, substantially as described.

2. A bracket for platform rocking-chair attaehments, having sideprojections to partially embrace or encircle the sides of the end coilof the spring, and a middle projection, the middle projection having ashoulder and being adapted to be inserted between the end coils of thespring, said shoulder being on the inside of the end coil when thespring is in place, whereby the spring is held in place and rigidlyattached to the upper and lower parts of the chair, respectively,substantially as described.

XVILLIAM I. BUNKER.

\Vitnesses:

E. F. HUBBARD, Tnonms A. BANNING.

